Briggle And Mitchams Ethics And Science Chapter Analysis

In this chapter of Briggle and Mitchams Ethics and Science they touch upon the idea of consequentialism and the idea that everyone has their own morals or beliefs. Consequentialism can sometimes be seen as over the top and judgmental while someones moral beliefs are a lighter approach to the situation. The belief that everyone has their own moral compass whether directed by family, religion, or just by the societal idea of being good and following the crowd. A part of life is making decisions, when we are younger decisions are made for us, but as we grow we must start making some for ourselves, and that includes failing and making mistakes along the way. “An act is right or wrong according to its consequences; it has no moral value apart
from outcomes. An act is right if and only if it is reasonably expected to produce the greatest good or least harm in comparison with alternative action choices” (Briggle and Mitchum 46). We cannot classify something as right or wrong if we do not see the issue from both sides. Whether one person believes they are helping by doing somethings unethical another could see it as hurting. “Goal of moral action is not to perfect the character of an agent or produce a good state of affairs; it is to uphold the morality of action itself” (Briggle and Mitcham 51). In order to have a greater society we must hold everyone up to the idea of moral standards and hope that everyone knows the general rights and wrongs to be able to make good decisions not only for themselves but for everyone around them. For we must not live in a selfish society if we want to continue to grow and evolve for the better.